Jeffrey Hass, professor of sociology, published “Discursive Power, Civilian Agency, Wartime Duress, and Resilience: Letters to the Authorities in the Blockade of Leningrad” in the Russian Review and “Soviet Power and Civilian Agency in the First Months of World War II: the View from Leningrad” in The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review.
Ignatius G. D Suglo, assistant professor of rhetoric & communication studies, published “Performative belonging and embodied meaning-making in Africa-China encounters” in Text and Performance Quarterly.
Kathryn H. Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, served as a Higher Education Ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) during the 2025-2026 academic year and will serve as a Distinguished Ambassador for CFR Education in 2026-2027.
Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School, co-published the essay "Adam Smith's Moral Philosophy Complicates Interpretations by the Chicago School and Its Critics" in ProMarket.
Jessica Flanigan, professor of leadership studies and philosophy, politics, economics, and law, co-edited the book The Philosophy of Taylor Swift, published with Oxford University Press, and wrote two of the book's chapters.
Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, served as an invited panelist at the annual convening of the Mont Pelerin Society, Oct. 11-15, in Indianapolis.
Christopher Shugrue, assistant professor of chemistry, published “N-[3-(N-tert-Butoxycarbonylaminooxy)propyl]-2-[2-(3-butynylcarbonylamino)ethylthio]-1,3-benzothiazole-6-carboxamide” in Molbank along with students Gabbie Meisner, ’29, and Nora Veigas, ’28.
David Giancaspro, associate professor of Spanish, was awarded the Community-Engaged Teaching Award by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the ninth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Kerrissa MacPherson, adjunct instructor of health studies, was awarded the Community-Engaged Teaching Award by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the ninth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Janelle Peifer, associate professor of psychology, was awarded the Community-Engaged Scholarship Award by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the ninth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Heather Russell, associate professor of mathematics, was awarded the Civic Commitment Award by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the ninth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Bedelia Richards, associate professor of sociology, was awarded the Public Scholarship Award by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the ninth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Christopher von Rueden, professor of leadership studies, co-published the article "Gender, kinship and the structure of friendship networks among Tsimane horticulturalists in lowland Bolivia" in Evolution and Human Behavior.
Lauren Henley, assistant professor of leadership studies, published "Powerful pulpits: Black preachers as cultish leaders in the axman murders, 1909-1912," in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies.
Kristin M.S. Bezio, professor of leadership studies, published "Leadership & Religious (In)toleration: Religious Conflict, Leadership and Shakespeare's Measure for Measure" in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies.
Kanji Kitamura, visiting assistant professor of Japanese, published “Does Culture Translate? A Case Study on Artificial Intelligence-Generated Text Concerning Japanese-Style Employment” in Cureus Journal of Business and Economics. The article contributes to the fields of cross-cultural management, intercultural communication, and translation studies.
Christopher von Rueden, professor of leadership studies, co-published the article "Hunter-gatherer societies are often put on a pedestal as paragons of equality — but the reality is more complicated" in The Conversation US.
Shweta Ware, associate professor of computer science, presented "ADHDPulse: A Smartphone-Based Approach to Monitor ADHD Symptom Improvement and ADHD Symptom Levels Prediction" at the 2026 IEEE 50th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference (COMPSAC). The paper was published along with Laura Knouse, professor of psychology, and Allison Baun, '26, Peiyi Wang, '25, Caleb Kwakye, '25, Sofia Dimotsi, '24, Ethan Swift, '24, and Nikoloz Gvelesiani, '26.
Tom Parfitt, director of professional education, and Laura Fitrer, senior program manager of professional education, received the Collaboration for Change award during the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement’s 2026 Engage for Change Awards ceremony held Sept. 30.
George Hiller, adjunct professor of liberal arts, received the Contribution to the Institution award during the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement’s 2026 Engage for Change Awards ceremony held Sept. 30. The award recognizes faculty or staff whose community-engaged teaching, scholarship, and/or service made a significant contribution to the University.
Jeffrey Hass, professor of sociology, published “Violence as Capital: Violent capital and the case of social hierarchies” in Theory and Society.
Aaron Childree, assistant professor of political science, published “How to Upend America in 100 Days: Unilateral Power at the Outset of Trump’s Second Term” in PS: Political Science & Politics.
Ignatius G. D Suglo, assistant professor of rhetoric & communication studies, published “Wunpini Fatimata Mohammed, Media, Culture, and Decolonization: Re-righting the Subaltern Histories of Ghana” in the International Journal of Communication.
Joe Torrence, SPCS director of community engagement and external relations, has been named to the Leadership Metro Richmond (LMR) Leadership Quest class of 2027. Leadership Quest is LMR’s flagship program that equips members to grow into engaged community leaders committed to sustainable change.
Xiaobing Shuai, adjunct professor of human resource management, has published an article, co-authored with Riley Ford, titled “Strategic Peer Region Selection for Economic Development” in the Economic Development Journal.
Sandy Williams IV, assistant professor of art, is exhibiting Bunker at Arcadia University’s Spruance Gallery. Read a review in Impulse.
Joanna Wares, associate professor of mathematics, published “Assessing the Role of Model Complexity in Virtual Clinical Trial Outcomes” in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology.
Jeffrey Hass, professor of sociology, published “Power and Praise: The Case of the Late Brezhnev Era” in Sociology Lens.
Della Dumbaugh, Robert Edwin Gaines Chair in Mathematics and professor in mathematics, published "Cooperation and Conflict: Oswald Veblen and Abraham Flexner" in the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society.
Olivier Delers, professor of French, and Linda Fairtile, head of Parsons Music Library, published “An Economist at the Opera: Adam Smith’s Passion for the Arts in 1766 Paris” in The Adam Smith Review. The chapter explores the famous classical economist Adam Smith during his time in Paris in 1766, focusing on his personal engagement, interest, and passion for the performing arts and opera.
Mariama Rebello de Sousa Dias, associate professor of physics, published “Experimental and Density Functional Theory Study of the Structural, Optical, and Electronic Properties of La2NiMnO6 and Nd2NiMnO6 Double Perovskite Ceramics” in ACS Applied Engineering Materials.
Camilla W. Nonterah, associate professor of psychology, published “Kidney Transplant Access for Persons Who Are Incarcerated: A Call for Action” in American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Harrison Moenich, manager of photography arts and media equipment, earned an Honorable Mention as part of the 2026 Made in VA Biennial awards for their photograph titled Z.
Kathryn H. Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, coauthored Global Burden of Disease Study papers on breast cancer in The Lancet Oncology, enteric infections in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, mental health disorders in The Lancet, and tuberculosis in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Patrick Martin, assistant professor of computer science, published the chapter “Together//Apart: Explorations in Choreorobotic Performance Ontologies” in Robot Theaters: Collisions in Performance and Social Robotics.
Kathryn H. Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, was an invited participant at the Council on Foreign Relation’s 2026 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop.
Caroline Weist, associate professor of German studies, published Bodies of a People: Disability, Community, and Critical Volkskörper on the Post-1900 German Stage.
Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies, published "Whose Job Is It to Care for the Poor? Public Support, Private Charity, and Crowding Out in Canada Since 1960," a study for the Fraser Institute.
David Giancaspro, associate professor of Spanish, published the chapter "L2 and L3 Acquisition" in the Oxford Handbook of the Portuguese Language.
Michael C. Leopold, professor and Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Chair of Chemistry, received the 2026 Omicron Delta Kappa, Epsilon Circle, Faculty Member of the Year Award.
David Giancaspro, associate professor of Spanish, published “I need some time to process this: Selective benefits of study abroad for L2 learners' on-line sensitivity to subjunctive mood in Spanish" in Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education.
Michael C. Leopold, professor and Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Chair of Chemistry, was one of 13 recipients to be awarded supplemental funding for their research program from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF).
Kate Cassada, associate professor of education and associate dean, and Dionne Ward, adjunct assistant professor of education, joined several UR SPCS alums in a back-to-school panel for faculty and staff at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico County. The panel focused on knowledge, skills, and experiences students need to thrive after high school.
Timothy Barney, professor of rhetoric and communication studies, received the 2026 Distinguished Service Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Jane Berry, professor of psychology, received the 2026 Distinguished Service Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Karina Vázquez, senior teaching faculty of Latin American, Latino, and Iberian studies, received the 2026 Distinguished Educator Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Kevin Pelletier, associate professor of English, received the 2026 Distinguished Educator Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Kristjen Lundberg, associate professor of psychology, received the 2026 Distinguished Educator Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Jennifer Erkulwater, professor of political science, received the 2026 Distinguished Scholarship Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Kelling Donald, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in the Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry, received the 2026 Distinguished Scholarship Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Thad Williamson, professor of leadership studies and philosophy, politics, economics, and law, received the 2026 Distinguished Service Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Kristin M. S. Bezio, professor of leadership studies and Jepson School associate dean of academic affairs, received the 2026 Distinguished Scholarship Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Jonathan Shank, associate university librarian for budget, operations, and technical services, was appointed to the HathiTrust Program Steering Committee, which advises HathiTrust’s board of governors, bringing member perspectives to help shape initiatives and strategies.
Nigel James, assistant professor of health studies, along with Jada Pederson, ’27, Huong Doan, ’27, Liam Hayes, ’28, and Leah Suggs, ’27, published “Food Insecurity and Mental Health Among High School Students: Evidence from National and Virginia Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Data” in the Journal of School Health.
Ben Pettis, assistant professor of rhetoric and communication studies, presented "Standardizing and Optimizing Education: Constructing the Neoliberal User in Learning Management Systems" at the 76th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference.
Nigel James, assistant professor of health studies, along with Julia Messerman, ’28, and Callia Nickels, ’27, published “‘It’s Not Just Cost’: Barriers to Mammography Screening Access Among Low-income Women in the United States –– A Scoping Review” in the Journal of Cancer Prevention.
Eugene Wu, associate professor of biology and biochemistry, along with Amanda Walsh, ’15, and Hye Rhee Kim, ’28, published "A thymine dimer stalls a high-fidelity DNA polymerase by provide no template information in the same manner as an abasic site" in Biochemistry.
Rick Mayes, professor of health policy, published the chapter “Policy Process: Problem Identification and Agenda Setting” in Milstead's Health Policy and Politics: A Nurse's Guide.
Grant Rissler, assistant professor of organizational studies and chair of the SPCS department of interdisciplinary and professional studies, published “The Commonwealth Enriched: Immigrant Paths to Progress,” a chapter in the book We the People: The World in Virginia, published by the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
Ben Pettis published "Subscribe, Follow, Save: Podcast Preservation in the Platform Era" in the Journal of Radio and Audio Media. The article discusses the PodcastRE project and the ongoing changes in the podcasting industry and audio distribution platforms which create challenges for digital archiving projects.
Grant Rissler, assistant professor of organizational studies and chair of the SPCS department of interdisciplinary and professional studies, published “Reimaging Information Architecture: Community-Centered and Collaborative Digital Infrastructure in Refugee Service Ecosystems” in Computers and Composition.
Daniel L. Hocutt, SPCS web manager and adjunct professor of liberal arts, was among co-authors of a paper that received the IEEE ProComm James M. Lufkin Award recognizing the best conference paper submitted to IPCC Proceedings 2026.
“Z” by Harrison Moenich, manager of photography arts and media equipment, was selected from their photograph series Q.M.C. for inclusion in Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art's Made in VA Biennial 2026.
Over the next three years, Stephanie Spera, associate professor of geography, environment, and sustainability, Hemali Oza, assistant professor of health studies, and Todd Lookingbill, professor of geography, environment, and sustainability and biology, will work closely with the local environmental justice nonprofit Southside ReLeaf on a community-led study of flooding on the Southside of Richmond with the support of a grant from the Jeffress Trust.
Crystal Hoyt, professor of leadership studies and psychology, co-published the article "Challenging the Gender Status Quo: How Low Gender System Justification Predicts Pro‐Women Leadership Bias" in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.
David Brandenberger, professor of history and global studies, was appointed Samuel Chiles Mitchell-Jacob Billikopf Professor of History and Global Studies.
Laura Knouse, professor of psychology, was appointed MacEldin Trawick Professor in Psychology.
Julian Maxwell Hayter, professor of leadership studies, wrote the epilogue in the book The Buried Cause: Unearthing Hidden History in the Lee Monument Cornerstone, published by University of Virginia Press.
Julian Maxwell Hayter, professor of leadership studies, wrote the chapter “Unveiled History: Confederate Memorialization and the Politics of Race and Place after Emancipation” in U.S. History in 15 Photographs: 1865 to the 21st Century, published by Bloomsbury Press.
Christopher Shugrue, assistant professor of chemistry, received a summer research grant from Organic Syntheses for the project "Development of Oxidative-Ring Openings of Benzoxazoles for the Construction of Amido-Substituted Quinone Derivatives." Grants are awarded to faculty at principally undergraduate institutions who work with a student in their department.
Laura Knouse, MacEldin Trawick Professor in Psychology and professor of psychology, received the 2026 Distinguished Scholarship Award from the University of Richmond at Colloquy.
Melinda A. Yang, associate professor of biology, received a National Science Foundation CAREER award of more than $990,000 to support her research on genetic adaptations in modern humans. Over the next five years, Yang, an ancient DNA expert, will build an easy-to-use tool that combines present-day and ancient DNA data to help researchers identify the genetic changes that have helped humans adapt and survive over time. Yang will also develop a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) using ancient DNA datasets for students taking her Human Evolutionary Genomics course at UR.
Jennifer Jones Cavenaugh, professor of theatre and dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, published “Reclaiming Narrative Authority: Gendered Violence and Feminist Reauthorship in Sharon Pollock's Saucy Jack” in Frame, Journal of Literary Studies.
Priscilla Erickson, assistant professor of biology, along with co-first authors Mia Hollekim, '26, and Lucy Smith, '26, published “Invasive African fig flies (Zaprionus indianus) have reduced cold acclimation ability compared to cosmopolitan drosophilid species” in microPublication Biology.
Sandy Williams IV, assistant professor of art, is exhibiting 00:10:00 (The Declaration of Independence) as part of the City of Alexandria’s Time and Place 2026 project that commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Bill Ross, professor of mathematics and Roger Francis and Mary Saunders Richardson Chair in Mathematics, received a National Science Foundation grant to host the SEAM 42 Conference: Southeastern Analysis Meeting at the University of Richmond. The annual meeting focuses on recent work and advances in operator theory, classical complex analysis and harmonic analysis, function theoretic operator theory, and related areas.
Jonathan Shank, associate university librarian for budget, operations, and technical services, was selected for the 2026 UCLA Library Senior Fellows cohort. The three-week program brings together emerging leaders for an immersive experience focused on the evolving role of academic libraries.
David Giancaspro, associate professor of Spanish, received the El Corazón Award from the Latinx Student Programming Board. The award recognizes outstanding dedication and commitment to uplifting the Latinx community at the University of Richmond and honors passion, advocacy, and meaningful contributions that have impacted the lives of Latinx students, staff, and faculty.
Adam Stanaland, assistant professor of psychology, published “Falling in line: Children’s gender conformity after feedback signaling gender atypicality” in Developmental Psychology.
Lionel Mew, assistant professor of information systems, has published the article “Enhancing Programming Productivity for Individuals with ADHD through Generative Artificial Intelligence: An Inductive Analysis” in the Journal of Information Systems Applied Research and Analytics. The article identifies four primary mechanisms by which generative AI tools mitigate ADHD-related programming challenges.
Alexander T. Englert, assistant professor of philosophy, published “Why Gödel believed in the afterlife” in Synthese. Gödel's philosophy of religion remains understudied, yet Englert reveals a thinker whose religious convictions rested on sophisticated philosophical reasoning.
Michelle Kahn, associate professor of history, won the Waterloo Centre for German Studies Book Prize for her book Foreign in Two Homelands: Racism, Return Migration, and Turkish-German History.
Nigel James, assistant professor of health studies, published “Conflict, Climate, and Child Health: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa” in Population and Development Review.
Nigel James, assistant professor of health studies, published “Quality of care and health insurance uptake in Namibia” in Journal of Public Health in Africa.
Jorge A. Wong Medina, assistant professor of classical studies, published "Sappho’s flowers: Lyric ἄνθεσιν and the Aeolic dative” in Glotta.
Linda Fairtile, head of Parsons Music Library and adjunct lecturer of music, published a critical edition of Giacomo Puccini's opera Edgar. The edition reconstructs the orchestral score from historical sources since the original complete score did not survive.
Nigel James, assistant professor of health studies, has been appointed to the YIELD Hub Advisory Board. The group of global leaders are committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), youth leadership, gender justice, and systems change across the world.
Grant Rissler, assistant professor of organizational studies, co-presented a paper titled “Immigrant Success Stories: The Positive Deviance Project” at the 2026 Migration Studies Research Symposium, held at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
Wendell C. Roberts, adjunct associate professor of education, served as a panelist at the Virginia State Bar Diversity Section 2026 Annual Forum. Roberts contributed to the panel titled “The Continuing Evolution of DEI in Legal Education.”
Wade Downey, professor of chemistry, along with Eric Zhou, ’27, and Helen Xia, ’24, published “Friedel–Crafts Addition of 3-Alkylated Indoles to Aldehydes: 2-Hydroxyalkylation Promoted by Trimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate” in The Journal of Organic Chemistry.
